Verbal Working Memory Deficits Research Articles

Cortical and subcortical substrates of working memory in the right hemisphere: A connectome-based lesion-symptom mapping study

Working Memory (WM) is a cognitive system whose crucial role is to temporarily hold and manipulate information. Early studies suggest that verbal WM is typically associated with left hemisphere (LH) brain regions, while the processing of visuospatial information in WM more specifically depends on the right hemisphere (RH). However, recent evidence suggests a more complex network involving both hemispheres' prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices in these processes. Unfortunately, previous lesion studies often examined only one modality (either verbal, or visuospatial) or one hemisphere, which limits the possible conclusions regarding non-lateralized hemispheric involvement. Using connectome-based lesion-symptom mapping on a large sample of patients with left (LBD) and right (RBD) focal brain damage, we examined whether gray matter damage and white matter disconnections predict deficits of WM updating in an N-back task. Patients were examined with two WM tasks that differed regarding modality (verbal, spatial) and cognitive load (1-back, 2-back). Behavioral outcomes indicated that RBD patients showed significant deficits in WM updating, regardless of task modality or load. This observation was supported by whole-brain voxel-based analysis, revealing associations between WM deficits and gray matter clusters in the RH. Specifically, damage to the right lateral frontal cortex including the brain region homologous to Broca's area was associated with verbal WM deficits, while damage to the right inferior parietal lobe and posterior temporal cortex predicted spatial WM deficits. Additionally, white matter analyses identified severely impacted tracts in the RH, predicting deficits in both verbal and spatial WM. Our findings suggest that the mental manipulation of both verbal and visuospatial information in WM updating relies on the integrity of the RH, irrespective of the specific type of information held in mind.

Executive functions in children with developmental language disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The purpose of the current study was to assess the differences between children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and typically developing (TD) children in their performance of executive functions from working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. We performed a systematical search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science for case control studies (published in English between January 1, 1950, and October 11, 2023) comparing the differences in the performance of executive functions between DLD and TD children. Forty eligible studies were included in the present study (N = 3,168 participants). In comparison with TD children, DLD children exhibited significantly poorer performances in all six verbal working memory tasks (backward digit recall task, SMD -1.4321, 95% CI -2.2692 to -0.5950; listening recall task, SMD -1.4469, 95% CI -1.7737 to -1.1202; counting recall task, SMD -0.9192, 95% CI -1.4089 to -0.4295; digit recall task, SMD -1.2321, 95% CI -1.4397 to -1.0244; word list recall task, SMD -1.1375, 95% CI -1.5579 to -0.7171; non-word recall task, SMD -1.5355, 95% CI -1.8122 to -1.2589). However, regarding inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility, the differences between DLD and TD children depended on specific circumstances. In subgroup analyses of all verbal working memory tasks, DLD children presented notably lower performance than TD children in both the monolingual English and monolingual non-English groups, and in both the preschooler and school-aged groups. This study proves that verbal working memory deficits can be seen as a marker for children with DLD and are not affected by age or language type. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=391070, CRD42023391070.

Lymphocyte level and selected cognitive functions in patients with schizophrenia – preliminary results

IntroductionSchizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by negative symptoms, such as cognitive impairment. Recent reports indicate the importance of the immune system in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The development of inflammation affects cognitive functioning.ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to analyze the association between the level of lymphocytes in venous blood and selected cognitive functions in patients with schizophrenia.MethodsLymphocyte levels were determined in the venous blood of patients suffering from schizophrenia and the control group. Additionally, a verbal fluency test (VFT) and a Stroop test were conducted on the same day. The VFT evaluates the ability to express words, and the Stroop test assesses verbal working memory. The inclusion criteria were age up to fifty years, and for the study group – diagnosis of schizophrenia and treatment with neuroleptics. Exclusion criteria included organic brain diseases, electroconvulsive therapy, and use of benzodiazepines within 48 hours before the study. Currently, six patients and six healthy people have been studied.Results Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia have an increased lymphocyte concentration in the blood compared to healthy individuals constituting the control group. There are discrepancies in the results of the phonemic fluency test, no significant differences were found between schizophrenics and the control group. Healthy men and women achieved higher results in the semantic fluency test compared to men and women with schizophrenia. Women constituting the control group achieved higher results in the Stroop test compared to women suffering from schizophrenia. Table 1 illustrates the concentration of lymphocytes in venous blood and the number of points in the phonemic fluency test, semantic fluency test, and in the Stroop test of the study and the control groups.Image:Conclusions Patients with schizophrenia are characterized by higher levels of immune system parameters and worse results in terms of semantic fluency. Men with schizophrenia showed no verbal working memory deficits. In turn, women with schizophrenia obtained worse results in the verbal working memory test. In conclusion, there is evidence of immune system activation in schizophrenia, which affects the cognitive functioning of patients.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Altered morphological characteristics and structural covariance connectivity associated with verbal working memory performance in ADHD children.

Deficits in verbal working memory (VWM) observed in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)children can persist into adulthood. Although previous studies have identified brain regions that are activated during VWM tasks, the neural mechanisms underlying the relationship between VWM deficits remain unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the structural covariance network connectivity and brain morphology changes that are associated with VWM performance in ADHD children. For this study, we selected 26 ADHD children and 26 healthy control (HC) participants. Participants were instructed to perform a n-back VWM task and their accuracy and response times were subsequently recorded. This research utilized voxel-based morphometry to measure the grey matter (GM) volume, and conducted structural covariance connectivity network analysis to explore the changes of brain in ADHD. Voxel-based morphometry analysis showed that lower GM volume in the right cerebellum lobule VI and the left parahippocampal gryus in ADHD children. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between the GM volume in the right cerebellum lobule VI and the accuracy of 2-back VWM task with verbal, small reward, and delayed feedback (VSD). Structural covariance network analysis found decreased structural connectivity between right cerebellum lobule VI and right precentral gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, left paracentral lobule, right superior parietal gyrus, left hippocampus in ADHD children. The low GM volume and altered structural covariance connectivity in the right cerebellum lobule VI might potentially affect VWM performance in ADHD children. The innovation of this study lies in its more focused discussion on the morphological characteristics and structural covariance connectivity of verbal working memory deficits in ADHD children, and the innovative finding of a positive correlation between gray matter volume in the right cerebellum lobule VI and accuracy in completing the 2-back VWM task with verbal instructions, small reward, and delayed feedback(VSD). This expands upon previous research by elucidating the specific brain structures involved in verbal working memory deficits in ADHD children and highlights the potential importance of the cerebellum in this cognitive process. Overall, these innovative findings advance our understanding of the neural basis of ADHD and may have important implications for the development of targeted interventions for verbal working memory deficits.

Cognitive impairment in MOGAD is associated with ADEM-like episodes and deep grey matter atrophy (S40.006)

Cognitive impairment in MOGAD is associated with ADEM-like episodes and deep grey matter atrophy (S40.006)

5607610 HETEROGENEITY IN COGNITIVE PRESENTATIONS AMONG CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE

Background: Children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at increased risk for central nervous system (CNS) sequelae. Deleterious effects on CNS functioning and cognition have been well-described in terms of global intellectual functioning and specific areas of cognitive weakness. Among school-aged youth with SCD, deficits are broadly observed across a range of abilities; however, less is known about the heterogeneity in presentations of cognitive deficits in SCD and associated implications. Aims: We aimed to determine rates of comorbid cognitive deficits across specific domains of functioning and examine disease-related correlates and functional outcomes of multiple co-occurring cognitive deficits. Methods: Participants (ages 7-16 years) with SCD completed the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V) and primary caregivers completed the Conners-3 to report on learning problems. WISC-V index scores were calculated for verbal comprehension, fluid reasoning, working memory, and processing speed. To investigate the heterogeneity of cognitive deficits, index scores were dichotomized and identified as a weakness if the standard score was ≤85 (i.e., 1 SD or more below the mean). Caregivers reported patient age and sex, while a review of the electronic health record was completed to verify SCD genotype and history of silent or overt cerebral infarct. Results: Ninety-one participants enrolled and completed a cognitive assessment. The mean age of participants was 10.43 years (SD=2.93) and the majority were female (59%), diagnosed with HbSS or HbS-beta0 thalassemia (75%), and had no evidence of silent or overt cerebral infarct (73%). While most participants demonstrated either no cognitive deficits or a deficit in only one domain of functioning (63%), a notable proportion of participants (37%) exhibited cognitive deficits across multiple (i.e., ≥2) domains. Nineteen percent of participants exhibited deficits in two domains of cognitive functioning, 11% had deficits in three domains, and 7% had deficits in four domains. In contrast, 17% of participants exhibited a cognitive deficit in only one domain. The most common comorbid deficits were observed for fluid reasoning and processing speed (18%) and working memory and processing speed (18%). Comorbid deficits in both verbal comprehension and working memory were the least common (9%). The number of domains ≥1 standard deviation below the mean was positively correlated with caregiver-rated learning problems (r=.38, p<.001). In a multiple linear regression controlling for age, sex, genotype, and stroke history, the number of domains of cognitive weakness significantly predicted caregiver-rated learning problems (b=4.29, p<.001). Conclusion: A high level of heterogeneity in cognitive deficits was observed in the current sample of youth with SCD. Among those with any cognitive deficits, it was more common for participants to have multiple areas of cognitive weakness than a single area of weakness. Deficits in processing speed showed high comorbidity with deficits in other areas, specifically in fluid reasoning and working memory. Having deficits across multiple areas of functioning was associated with increased learning problems. Additional research needs to examine the etiology of comorbid cognitive deficits, implications for disease self-management, and the extent to which cognitive interventions targeting multiple domains of weakness could enhance outcomes.

P425. Trauma Affects the Oscillatory Dynamics Serving Verbal Working Memory in Sex- and Developmentally-Specific Ways

Working memory, the ability to hold items in memory stores for further manipulation, is a higher-order cognitive process that supports many aspects of daily life. Childhood trauma has been associated with altered cognitive development including particular deficits in verbal working memory, but the neural underpinnings of this deficit remain poorly understood. Magnetoencephalography studies of verbal working memory have reliably shown decreased alpha activity in left-lateralized language regions during encoding and increased alpha activity in parieto-occipital cortices during the maintenance phase.

Trauma moderates the development of the oscillatory dynamics serving working memory in a sex-specific manner.

Working memory, the ability to hold items in memory stores for further manipulation, is a higher order cognitive process that supports many aspects of daily life. Childhood trauma has been associated with altered cognitive development including particular deficits in verbal working memory (VWM), but the neural underpinnings remain poorly understood. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) studies of VWM have reliably shown decreased alpha activity in left-lateralized language regions during encoding, and increased alpha activity in parieto-occipital cortices during the maintenance phase. In this study, we examined whether childhood trauma affects behavioral performance and the oscillatory dynamics serving VWM using MEG in a cohort of 9- to 15-year-old youth. All participants completed a modified version of the UCLA Trauma History Profile and then performed a VWM task during MEG. Our findings indicated a sex-by-age-by-trauma three-way interaction, whereby younger females experiencing higher levels of trauma had the lowest d' accuracy scores and the strongest positive correlations with age (i.e. older performed better). Likewise, females with higher levels of childhood trauma exhibited altered age-related alpha changes during the maintenance phase within the right temporal and parietal cortices. These findings suggest that trauma exposure may alter the developmental trajectory of neural oscillations serving VWM processing in a sex-specific way.

Visuospatial but Not Verbal Working Memory Deficits in Adult Patients With Neurofibromatosis Type 1.

Background: Cognitive dysfunction is one of the main symptoms of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). As an important cognitive function, working memory (WM) has rarely been systematically analyzed in NF1 by isolating the particular domain of WM, and existing data involving WM in adult patients with NF1 are insufficient. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of different types of WM in NF1 from the perspective of the adult population.Method: We comprehensively analyzed WM in both verbal and visuospatial WM domains by using the N-back task (including the verbal N-back task and the visuospatial N-back task) in 31 adults with NF1 and 34 healthy controls matched for age, gender, education levels, and general cognitive status. The accuracy and reaction times (RTs) in the N-back task were entered into mixed-design ANOVA.Results: Compared with healthy controls, adults with NF1 presented significantly lower mean accuracy and longer RTs in the visuospatial N-back task. However, no significant difference was found between the NF1 group and healthy controls in the verbal N-back task.Conclusions: The present study suggested that adults with NF1 might have deficits in visuospatial WM. We did not find evidence for verbal WM deficits in adult patients with NF1. Our findings supplement and refine the existing data on WM in the context of NF1.

Examining Distinctive Working Memory Profiles in Chinese Children With Predominantly Inattentive Subtype of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and/or Reading Difficulties

Although evidence has shown that both RD and ADHD-I children suffer from working memory problems, inconsistencies in impaired modalities have been reported. This study aimed to (1) compare the three WM domains (i.e., verbal WM, visual-spatial WM, and behavioral WM) among pure ADHD-I, pure RD, comorbid ADHD-I+RD, and typical control groups and (2) examine the impact of comorbidity on the three WM domains. A Chinese sample of participants from Hong Kong included 29 children in the ADHD-I group, 78 children in the RD group, 31 children in the comorbid group (ADHD-I+RD), and 64 children in the TD control group. All participants completed the assessments individually. The findings showed that the children with ADHD-I and/or RD exhibited diverse cognitive profiles. In particular, RD was associated with verbal and visual-spatial working memory deficits, while ADHD-I was associated with behavioral working memory deficits. Interestingly, the comorbid condition demonstrated additive deficits of the two disorders but with greater deficits in behavioral working memory. These findings support the cognitive subtype hypothesis and provide a clearer picture of the distinctive working memory profiles of different groups, allowing for the development of intervention programs in the future.

Speech production factors and verbal working memory in children and adults with developmental language disorder.

Verbal working memory (VWM) deficits are common in individuals with developmental language disorder (DLD) but are not well understood. This study evaluated how both memory and language production factors influence VWM performance in children and adults with DLD, focusing on the influence of serial position, phonological activation (PA), and lexical frequency. Participants were 30 children with DLD and 26 with typical language (TL), and 21 adults with DLD and 23 with TL. The participants completed a listening span task in which they were asked to recall the final words of sentences in sets of increasing size. Responses (dependent variable) were coded as correct, incorrect, or no response. Final words were coded for frequency, serial position within the set, and PA (number of occurrences of the initial phoneme, vowel, and whole word in the task). These variables, along with age and language status, were entered as predictors in mixed-effects multinomial regression models. Extreme serial position, greater PA, and higher frequency reduced incorrect and no responses. These effects were attenuated for the DLD group, and the effect of greater PA varied with set size. The findings suggest that for individuals with DLD, VWM performance is affected by more limited effective language experience and by the dynamic task demands.

Neuropsychological functioning in long-term survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A prospective cross-sectional study

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer. Given the improvement in the survival of patients with ALL over the last few decades, the adverse effects of treatment and disease on survivors have become a major concern. Neuropsychological functioning has been reported to be affected in long-term survivors of ALL and can impact their quality of life. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the neuropsychological functioning of long-term survivors of pediatric ALL. Materials and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Cancer Institute, Chennai, India, between March and August 2014. Pediatric patients with ALL who had survived at least 2 years after treatment and were in remission were included in the study. Various neuropsychological domains such as sustained attention, focused attention, verbal working memory, immediate memory, verbal learning, immediate recall, delayed recall, visuoconstructive ability, and visuomotor speed were assessed using age-appropriate tests. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests such as the Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis H-tests. P Results: Of the 51 participants, there were 30 male and 21 female survivors. Their median ages at diagnosis and assessment were 8.6 years and 18.3 years, respectively. Adult survivors (n = 31) were found to have deficits in immediate memory, verbal learning, immediate recall, visuoconstructive ability, and visuomotor speed. Adolescent survivors (n = 20) were found to have deficits in immediate memory and verbal working memory. Survivors aged 8 years or more at diagnosis had better focused attention and verbal working memory, while those diagnosed at age Conclusions: Long-term survivors of pediatric ALL experience deficits in various neuropsychological functions. Adult survivors have deficits in immediate memory, visuoconstructive ability, verbal learning, immediate recall, and visuomotor speed, whereas adolescent survivors have deficits in immediate memory and verbal working memory.

Quantifying grammatical impairments in primary progressive aphasia: Structured language tests and narrative language production

PurposeThis study examined grammatical production impairments in primary progressive aphasia (PPA), as measured by structured tests and narrative samples. We aimed to quantify the strength of the relationship between grammatical measures across tasks, and identify factors that condition it. Three grammatical domains were investigated: overall sentence production, verb morphology, and verb-argument structure. Methods77 participants with PPA (34 PPA-G, 16 PPA-L, 15 PPA-S and 12 other) completed a battery of grammatical tests and a narrative language sample was obtained. Accuracy scores were computed for the language tests and the narrative samples were analyzed for both accuracy of selected narrative variables as well as grammatical diversity across the three grammatical domains. Principal components analysis (PCA) and multiple regression were used to examine cross-task relationships for all measures. ResultsAs expected on the basis of classification criteria, accuracy scores were lower for the PPA-G group as compared to the PPA-L and PPA-S participants for overall sentence production and verb morphology, but not argument structure. Grammatical accuracy in narratives strongly predicted overall language test performance in PPA-G, whereas grammatical diversity in narratives did so in PPA-L, and no significant correspondence between narrative and language test performance was found for PPA-S. For individuals with severe grammatical impairments only, error distribution for both morphology and argument structure was strongly associated in structured tasks and narratives. ConclusionsGrammatical production in narrative language predicts accuracy elicited with structured language tests in PPA. However, unique narrative production patterns distinguish PPA by subtype: accuracy for PPA-G, and grammatical diversity for PPA-L. The impairment in PPA-G is likely to reflect a core impairment in grammar whereas that of PPA-L may be closely tied to the word retrieval and verbal working memory deficits that characterize this variant. This underscores the theoretical distinction between PPA-L and PPA-G, as well as the importance of including grammatical diversity measures in analyses of language production, especially for patients who do not display frank agrammatism. Further, the results suggest that measures of domain-specific language deficits (i.e., verb morphology vs. argument structure) are robust across tasks only in individuals with severe grammatical impairments.

Dopamine effects on memory load and distraction during visuospatial working memory in cognitively normal Parkinson’s disease

ABSTRACT Visuospatial working memory (WM) impairments in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are more prominent and evolve earlier than verbal WM deficits, suggesting some differences in underlying pathology. WM is regulated by dopaminergic neurotransmission in the prefrontal cortex, but the effect of dopamine on specific processes supporting visuospatial WM are not well understood. Dopamine therapeutic effects on different WM processes may also differ given the heterogeneity of cognitive changes in PD. The present study examined the effect of dopamine therapy on memory load and distraction during visuospatial WM. Exploratory analyses evaluated whether individual differences in medication effects were associated with a gene, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), which regulates prefrontal cortex dopamine levels. Cognitively normal PD participants (n = 28) and controls (n = 25) performed a visuospatial WM task, which manipulated memory load and the presence/absence of distractors. PD participants performed the task on and off medication. PD COMT groups were comprised of Met homozygote (lower COMT activity) and heterozygote and Val homozygote carriers (higher COMT activity, Het/Val). The results showed that handling higher memory loads and suppressing distraction were impaired in PD off, but not on medication. Medication improved distraction resistance in Met, but not Het/Val group. COMT did not modulate medication effects on memory load. These findings demonstrate that dopaminergic therapy restores visuospatial WM processes in patients without cognitive impairment and suggest that COMT variants may partly explain the mixed effects of medication on specific processes governed by distinct brain systems. Future investigations into gene-modulated effects of medication could lead to individualized strategies for treating cognitive decline.

Traumatic Brain Injury: Effect of Litigation Status on Executive Functioning—A Pilot Study

AbstractTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with a wide range of physiological, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive sequelae. Litigation status is one of the many factors that has an impact on recovery. The aim of this study was to compare executive functions, postconcussion, and depressive symptoms in TBI patients with and without litigation. A sample of 30 patients with TBI, 15 patients with litigation (medicolegal case [MLC]), and 15 without litigation (non-MLC) was assessed. The tools used were sociodemographic and clinical proforma, executive function tests, Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptom Questionnaire, and Beck Depression Inventory. Assessment revealed that more than 50% of patients showed deficits in category fluency, set shifting, and concept formation. The MLC group showed significant impairment on verbal working memory in comparison to the non-MLC group. The performance of both groups was comparable on tests of semantic fluency, visuospatial working memory, concept formation, set shifting, planning, and response inhibition. The MLC group showed more verbal working memory deficits in the absence of significant postconcussion and depressive symptoms on self-report measures.

A-048 Semantic, Not Phonetic, Working Memory Performance Predicts Variation in Reading Comprehension in a Mixed Sample

Abstract Objective Reading comprehension (RC) is the result of a combination of interrelated abilities including decoding, linguistic processing, and higher-order cognitive functions such as working memory (WM). Problems with RC are associated with deficits in verbal WM, especially on tasks involving semantic processing. Hence, this study’s aim was to determine which is the better predictor of RC when controlling for basic reading ability: semantic or phonetic WM. Semantic WM was hypothesized to be the better predictor. Methods Participants included 258 children (aged 8-13 years) with ADHD, reading disability (RD), or comorbid ADHD/RD, and typically developing controls (53.6% Male, 87.8% Caucasian). Participants completed a neuropsychological battery as part of a larger, grant-funded study (R03HD048752, R15HD065627), including the WJ-III Letter-Word Identification and Passage Comprehension subtests that were utilized to assess basic reading and RC, respectively. Participants also completed the Rhyming Words and Semantic Association subtests of the Swanson-Cognitive Processing Test, which measure phonetic WM and semantic WM, respectively. Results Hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that worse performance on the semantic WM task was associated with poorer RC (Beta = 0.15; p &amp;lt; 0.001) above and beyond basic reading (R2 change = 0.02, p &amp;lt; .001). Phonetic WM was not related to RC when decoding was controlled despite the zero-order correlation being significant (p &amp;lt; .001), showing much of phonetic WM’s relationship to RC may be due to basic reading requiring this skill. Conclusion Findings suggest differences in RC may be related to semantic WM functioning in children with and without RD, but not phonetic WM, when basic reading is controlled. Replication with a longitudinal design is warranted.

B-14 Differences in Performance of Memory Tasks in HIV + Cocaine and Methamphetamine Users

Abstract Objective Approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. are infected with HIV (HIV+), many of whom use stimulants. Recent meta-analytical work supports differing neurocognitive profiles associated with methamphetamine and cocaine use in seronegative individuals, especially in the domain of memory. Both substances are associated with deficits in verbal working memory, while only methamphetamine is associated with deficits in delayed contextual verbal memory and delayed visual memory. This study serves to replicate these findings amongst an HIV+ sample. Methods The performance of 88 HIV+ cocaine users and 49 HIV+ methamphetamine users were compared on the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test–Revised and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test–Revised. Participants were actively enrolled in National Neurological AIDS Bank and over the age of 18. Chi-square and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to compare group equivalence. Groups differed on gender and race but not on age, virologic variables, or education. ANOVA and Independent T-tests were used to compare performance. Results Both groups exhibited deficits on visual, verbal, and delayed verbal memory tasks but differences between the two groups were not significant (p&gt;.05). Methamphetamine users performed significantly worse than cocaine users on the delayed visual memory task (F (1,131) = 9.27, p = .003, η² = .066). Conclusions Consistent with findings in seronegative individuals, HIV+ methamphetamine users performed more poorly than cocaine users on tasks involving delayed visual memory. However, this study did not replicate findings involving delayed verbal memory. Further work is necessary to understand the impact of methamphetamine and cocaine use in HIV+ individuals.

Working memory training and language outcomes in children with cochlear implants

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to provide information on whether improvements in language skills might be achieved by improving working memory capacity in cochlear-implanted children.Patients and MethodsThis study was carried out on 30 prelingual cochlear-implanted children at the Hearing and Speech Institute. They were divided into two groups: group I received communicative therapy plus a working memory training program. Group II received communicative therapy only. Post-therapy evaluation was carried out after 6 months using the Modified Preschool Language Scale-4 for assessing language and the working memory subtests measures of the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale ‘5th Arabic version‘ for the assessment of working memory.ResultsThe results of this study showed an improvement in verbal working memory capacity, nonverbal working memory capacity, and the total working memory in the group of children with cochlear implants (CIs) who received 6 months of a working memory training program in addition to communicative therapy. The findings indicate that there is an improvement in the verbal and nonverbal working memory in the participants following the training on certain tasks in the computer-based working memory training program. This will lead to an improvement in the language skills as well.ConclusionWorking memory training may improve some memory and language skills for children with CIs. As a result, interventions specifically designed to address the basic underlying verbal working memory deficits of children with CIs may be expected to have wide-ranging effects that generalize well beyond the trained working memory tasks and stimuli themselves and show transfer to nontrained language perception and memory tasks.

Intelligence test at preschool-age predicts reading difficulty among school-aged very low birth weight infants in Japan

ObjectiveTo elucidate whether the results of an intelligence test at preschool age are predictive of reading difficulty (RD) at school age among very low birth weight infants (VLBWI). MethodsSubjects were 48 Japanese children whose birth weight was <1500 g and who regularly visited a follow-up clinic. All subjects completed the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC-III) during the last grade of kindergarten, and four reading tasks during the second to fourth grade of elementary school. All participants had a full-scale intelligence quotient score of 85 or higher. Subjects with a standard deviation reading time score greater than 2.0 in two or more tasks were considered to have RD. We evaluated the associations between each WISC-III score and RD using logistic regression analyses. Furthermore, we performed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to determine a cutoff WISC-III score predictive of RD. ResultsIn the mutually-adjusted model, the adjusted odds ratio per 1 score increase of freedom from distractibility (FD) was 0.832 (95% confidence interval: 0.720–0.962). In the ROC analysis, an FD score of <95.5 was chosen as the cutoff value for predicting RD (sensitivity, 0.77; specificity, 0.74). ConclusionThe present study indicated that a lower FD score at preschool age, which was associated with deficits in verbal working memory and attention, is a risk factor for RD at school age among Japanese VLBWI. Further investigation is desired to clarify the cognitive deficits underlying RD in Japanese-speaking preterm children, and to establish appropriate interventions for these children.

Trajectories of cognitive development during adolescence among youth at-risk for schizophrenia.

Among adults with schizophrenia, evidence suggests that premorbid deficits in different cognitive domains follow distinct developmental courses during childhood and adolescence. The aim of this study was to delineate trajectories of adolescent cognitive functions prospectively among different groups of youth at-risk for schizophrenia, relative to their typically developing (TD) peers. Using linear mixed models adjusted for sex, ethnicity, parental occupation and practice effects, cognitive development between ages 9 and 16years was compared for youth characterised by a triad of well-replicated developmental antecedents of schizophrenia (ASz; N=32) and youth with a least one affected relative with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (FHx; N=29), relative to TD youth (N=45). Participants completed measures of IQ, scholastic achievement, memory and executive function at three time-points, separated by approximately 24-month intervals. Compared to TD youth, both ASz and FHx youth displayed stable developmental deficits in verbal working memory and inhibition/switching executive functions. ASz youth additionally presented with stable deficits in measures of vocabulary (IQ), word reading, numerical operations, and category fluency executive function, and a slower rate of growth (developmental lag) on spelling from 9 to 16years than TD peers. Conversely, faster rates of growth relative to TD peers (developmental delay) were observed on visual and verbal memory, and on category fluency executive function (ASz youth only) and on matrix reasoning (IQ) and word reading (FHx youth only). These differential patterns of deviation from normative adolescent cognitive development among at-risk youth imply potential for cognitive rehabilitation targeting of specific cognitive deficits at different developmental phases.